#96 Bill Tremel - Chicago Cubs

William Leonard Tremel
Chicago Cubs
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180
Born:  July 4, 1929, Lilly, PA
Acquired:  Purchased with John Andre and Billy Muffett from Shreveport (Texas), June 8, 1954
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1954-1956
Died:  December 22, 2013, Hollidaysburg, PA (age 84)

Bill Tremel pitched in parts of three seasons with the Cubs, appearing in 57 games all in relief.  He had a lifetime record of 4-2 with a 4.05 ERA and 6 saves.  Nicknamed "Mumbles," Tremel spent 11 seasons in the minor leagues going 72-60 in 430 games with a 4.03 ERA.

Building the Set
June 22, 1993 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #111
Given the creases visible on the front of this card, there's no way my Dad was with me when this was purchased from Only Yesterday on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ.  My Dad would have rejected this card outright for our set given its condition.  This Tremel card was purchased along with the cards for Spook Jacobs (#151) and Dick Brodowski (#157) for $10.  Up until a few years ago, Only Yesterday was located on the Ocean City boardwalk and it was one of the few stops that was a must-visit for me whenever I'd walk the boards.  (The others being, and still being, Shriver's, Johnson's Popcorn, Manco & Manco's and the Surf Mall.)

I missed a chunk of my spring semester of my freshman year of college due to a bad bout of mono.  In the summer of 1993, after that freshman year, I was back at home.  June 22nd would have been a Tuesday, so that's a strange day to be visiting the Ocean City boardwalk given I would have had a summer job somewhere.

The Card
The photo on the front was the same photo used on Tremel's rookie card in the 1955 Topps set.  Topps would reprint the card for Tremel to sign for inclusion in the 2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

Flipping to the back, granted Tremel was undefeated, but his record was 3-0 in in 1955 in 23 relief appearances.  And Topps is being somewhat generous here in calling him one of the "top relief pitchers in the league."  Tremel had a 3.72 ERA over 38 2/3 innings pitched with 13 strikeouts and 18 walks.  The win referenced in the final panel on the back came on July 8, 1954 against the Braves.  Tremel pitched seven innings in relief in a game the Cubs won, 9-8, in 14 innings.

Cubs Team Set

1956 Season

Tremel returned to the Cubs bullpen for the start of the 1956 season.  His sole appearance for the team came on April 27th against the Reds.  He allowed a run on three hits in 2/3 of an inning, ending his time with the Cubs and his big league career.  Sent back down to the Double-A Tulsa Oilers, Tremel led the team in appearances with 63 and had a record of 11-6 with a 4.23 ERA.

Tremel remained with the Cubs organization through 1957 and spent parts of the 1958 and 1959 seasons pitching in the Dodgers and Athletics organizations.

1955 Topps #52

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #52
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1955-1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #RO-BT

7 - Tremel non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/26/20.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

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Set Order: #95 Milwaukee Braves Team Card / #97 Jerry Lynch - Pittsburgh Pirates

Order Collected: #30 Jackie Robinson - Brooklyn Dodgers / #151 "Spook" Jacobs - Kansas City Athletics